CRA

Not following you. Mike Shula became OC in 2013. They figured it out after the first Shula game? Cam went on to the Pro Bowl in 2013. Was an All Pro 2 years later and was close to pulling off a perfect season. That’s an odd definition of figured out after one game. Or you talking just 2016 and Denver being allowed to head hunt Cam in the pocket? Which sent a message to the league about how they would officiate Cam uniquely? That’s figuring things out? And if I recall Cam still got them in position for the game winner. Kicker just missed the 2nd one after they called a time out after hitting the first. Panthers D going south had more to do with things going south than the league suddenly figuring Cam Newton out in 2016. Again, they largely figured they could try to take him out. And again, his career essentially ended that season with the shoulder injury.

That’s a tough sell boss. That it took the NFL 6 years to figure out what Cam did…..and it is was that and not his shoulder injury that did his career in. And if your fixation is 2016 off the Super Bowl rewrite the rules to murder Cam season that he hurt his shoulder in, the Panther D went drastically backward. Went from top 10 to bottom 10. And when your model is Cam and D. You need the D for the formula to work. Didn’t help Luke and Cam only shared the field 9 times that year.

Cam provided a lot more than one great season. He gave you one all time great season. Bunch of “mediocre” Pro Bowl seasons you had stomach through. Figured him out in year 6? The injury that wrecked his throwing was in 2016. Which Cam acknowledged never healed. I mean teams figured out in the opener the league would allow hack a Shaq and that Cam was officially an anomaly in terms of calls. I’ll give you that.

I think a slow start seems to be easy assumption. Rookie, new schemes, Frank's history. I think after the bye week we start making some strides of it all coming together. and get to around where Vegas has the over/under at. 7ish.

Cam Newton went to New England after being run into the ground.....and logged the 2nd most attempts in his career, had the 2nd most rushing TDs in his career, 2nd most first downs in his career and was a battering ram. He wasn't run down. Running remained the one thing he could do. And he won more games than us, with a worse team, in less games that year. What killed Cam Newton's career was a shoulder injury he received making a tackle off an INT. A fluke. Best OL in the NFL doesn't prevent that. Because a fat lazy WR gave up on the play the moment he didn't get the ball. That fluke injury ended his career. Because he couldn't throw after it. You could never measure Cam by traditional standards. Not in college. Not in the NFL. He was uniquely built to run. So the hit number doesn't hold the same weight as if we were talking about a traditional passer. Or even a scrambler. Cam was essentially an anomaly.

top 10 worst defenses against the run? We logged 9 games vs them. That probably helps

I mean, Hunt is a 3rd down RB. They were willing to put Nick Freaking Chubb on the sideline for Hunt. Sanders was a frustrating RB in Philly in terms of reliability after his rookie year in terms of dual threat reliability. Talented. Good runner. Capable.

Ron allowed Cam to be special. Not try to make a square peg fit the round hole that was the NFL QB spot. Cam hurt his shoulder making a tackle because KB is lazy. Messed up his foot juking on NE's turf. Cam wasn't run into the ground by Ron. NE was proof of that. Gas tank still full for the dirty work. Still full today. As Cam said, you got to let a lion roar. Ron did and it was probably THE best window in our franchise's history because of it.

I mean, Ron let Cam Newton play literally the only way he has ever played the game. His 2 national titles. His MVP Super Bowl run. All the same formula. And that approach took him to the top at every level. and the injuries that derailed his career were two fluke ones that weren't tied to OL play or wear and tear of hits. and I still maintain there aren't a lot of teams that would have gotten what Ron got out of Cam. Imperfect as it was. Cam went to one of the best places he could of possibly gone to. And that's because of Ron. Too many would have insisted on coaching him into being something not special and playing to his weakness to fit what they do.

I mean, Hunt would be the best dual threat on the roster. Basically, the exact type RB I argued we should add to compliment the backfield. But I'm not a fan of Hunt the person. I'd rather pass.

yeah, it's a weird one for me. The "see we can win without top tier WRs just look at 2015". we won with a MVP QB caliber performance by one of the most unique players in NFL history at his peak paired with a stellar D. A D that featured multiple future HOFers, Panther Ring of Honor members, former Pro Bowlers, etc. 2015 should never be mentioned as an example of why the 2023 team can find success. I mean, I'm not looking to knock the team. Folks just taking us to places too far for me.

Frank's never developed anyone either though. Ron played to his player's strengths. Cam shows that. Which is the way it should be. People rage about Ron letting Cam be Cam. But that is how it should of been IMO.

The Panthers went to the Super Bowl because they had a unique and historical QB in his prime with a top of tier defense. We don't align with that formula.

Frank Reich should not call plays and just focus on being the HC. Let the OC be the OC.

But even on paper going in, end of the Ron era was still stacked with talent. Injury caused us to go to the backup QB in week 2. QB play was the ultimate derailment. Injury forced it to be a Kyle Allen, Will Grier season. Going in, it was still a roster that featured CMC, DJ Moore, Olsen, Samuel, Turner, Moton, etc. O. Luke, Shaq, Bradberry, Burns, McCoy, Irvin, Addison, Poe, Jackson, Reid, etc on D. I don't dislike where we are at presently. Think we are building a fine base of players. I just think it is being exaggerated and everything based on everyone hitting the full optimistic path.

Denver was last in points per game last year. I would make a wager they will improve dramatically from that. Sean Payton might be a douche but Denver will be in a drastically different place form a coaching standpoint. We talking close to the shifts of moving on from a Rhule or Urban. I mean it was comedy from the start.

I mean, NFL history says your take is wrong. Our history too. Teams change a lot. It's why a team like the 2015 squad will not be on the radar at this time . At all. Or other teams you think will be strong....flop. Each season is it's own beast. You mention Denver. No one thought they would suck as bad they did last year. And it's probably a safe bet they will be nowhere near as awful this year as you are penciling them in as simply because last year existed.

it's a rebuild when you trade away your stud playmakers to acquire draft picks, hire a new HC and staff, plan to start a rookie QB, and have brand new D and O schemes that the entire team whether new or old has to learn. That's a rebuild. this team won 7 games as by product of a weak schedule. Not because they were playing good football or were good. It would have been a 1 win team with a tough schedule. The fixation on a bad team stumbling to 7 wins and somehow that carrying weight on how many we win this season just doesn't jive.

IMO our roster is being drastically overrated by the board during the before the season starts high window. The argument for it being better than prior rosters in too dependent on guys being something they really haven't proven to be. On paper going into a season (not accounting for injuries, the season playing out).....I honestly am not sure when I would say this was a better overall roster than. I'd have to really think about it. Now, I do think this roster is deeper than many teams we have fielded. Which is good. We have had a lot of teams that were thin and too heavily dependent on a few. But that top end talent carries a lot of weight in how I view things.

CMC and DJ Moore. That's 2. and I'm cool with it because we wanted to rebuild. Draft a rookie QB. Build something new. New HC. New O. New D. You know the whole rebuild that when acknowledged some are freaking out claiming we somehow are in win now playoff or bust mode.

My take was the exact same before Saturday. Saturday’s game didn’t create the expectation for the year. Trading away our stud playmakers for the draft, starting a rookie QB, new HC, new O, new D and being in year one of a rebuild created it. and I’m excited. Like OP says, it’s 2011.

Vegas got Saints 9.5 Falcons 8.5 Panthers 7.5 Bucs 6.5 and that’s about as rational as it gets. I mean, you can find a TV personality making a case for every team

The little brother SJ was on Barstool today. Basically said they had been supportive of Oher going after money for years. The family angle is more recent but they had been talking about it for years too. He did sort of suggest he thought the timing was about selling his book. He endorsed the book as good. Said Oher didn’t just find out anything new about stuff. Said all the money they got from the movie will be out there for everyone to see. Said from start to finish with money trickling in over the years he got 60k total off the movie.

I still love Joe Montana ruining Rudy too. Montana was like offering up our jersey/spot? Nah. Chanting his name? Nah. Carried him off the field? Well, technically some pranksters did it as a joke to tease him.

that's not what the movie said. Sandy taught him to play LT with an inspirational speech about defending her.